ENVIRONMENTAL NUTRITION:

Cool cucumbers

August 01, 2013|By Lori Zanteson, Environmental Nutrition | Entree

Of all the garden's summertime offerings, none is quite so "cool" as a cucumber, a phrase coined in a 1732 English poem. Cultivated around the world for more than 3,000 years, the cucumber has gained a following for its simple, raw and sometimes pickled appeal. It is said that the Romans used artificial methods to grow cucumbers out of season so that Emperor Tiberius could eat them every day of the year. Today, this India native is the basis for favorite recipes, like raita and tzatziki, as well as its many pickled roles in relish and dips.

Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) belong to the same family as melons and squash. Though we think of them as vegetables, they are technically fruits, classified either as slicing cucumbers or pickling cucumbers. Slicing "cukes" are thick-skinned and consumed in their fresh form, while the pickling variety are smaller and have thinner skins. The most familiar cucumbers are long, with smooth, dark-green skin, but there are hundreds of varieties that differ in size, shape and even color. With a 95 percent water content, cucumbers are hydrating and have a very low calorie count. A one-cup serving has only 16 calories, yet packs 22 percent DV (Daily Value, recommended daily intake based on 2,000 calories per day) of bone-building vitamin K and 4 percent DV of cell-protecting vitamin C.

True to its reputation, cucumber juice soothes irritated and swollen skin, and even cools against the pain of sunburn, according to the January 2013 Fitoterapia, the journal from the School of Natural Product Studies in India. Cucumbers have a unique profile of plant compounds with health-promoting properties, including lignans, which have been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, and flavonoid antioxidants, including quercetin, apigenin and kaempferol. Animal studies have shown that cucumber can reduce inflammation, a root of chronic disease. While promising, cucumber research is still in the preliminary stages.

Generally, cucumbers are available fresh year round. They should be refrigerated both in the market and at home because they are heat-sensitive. Choose those that are firm, evenly colored and without wrinkles. They will store for several days in the refrigerator, whole and, if cut, in a sealed container. Enjoy cucumbers -- which are most nutritious eaten with skin and seeds -- sliced in salads or sandwiches, dipped in dressings or hummus, diced into tuna or chicken salad, floating in iced tea, or pureed into a green smoothie or cool gazpacho soup.

Notable nutrients

Cucumber, with peel, raw, sliced, 1 cup

Calories: 16

Vitamin C: 3 mg (4 percent DV)

Vitamin K: 17 mcg (22 percent DV)

Potassium: 153 mcg (4 percent DV)

Manganese: 0.1 mg (4 percent DV)

DV=Daily Value, mg=milligrams, mcg=micrograms

(Environmental Nutrition is the award-winning independent newsletter written by nutrition experts dedicated to providing readers up-to-date, accurate information about health and nutrition in clear, concise English. For more information, visit http://www.environmentalnutrition.com.)